


Epilogue

by neutrinobomb



Series: Of Lariats and Love [3]
Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies)
Genre: Birth, Cowboy!AU, Elizabeth is the best, F/M, Gay Cowboys, M/M, Surrogacy, but not super explicit, rodeo!AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:41:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28350318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neutrinobomb/pseuds/neutrinobomb
Summary: The second most important day in the lives of Jack and James.
Relationships: Elizabeth Swann/Will Turner, James Norrington/Jack Sparrow
Series: Of Lariats and Love [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2076039
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	Epilogue

“Remember, you got that Wrangler shoot this weekend. Don’t do anything stupid, Jack.”

“Ooh, language, Jamie! Thought we were working on that?” Jack said as he settled himself in Black Pearl’s saddle. “Besides, old girl here is a queen. We can trust her with a little trail ride.”

“Uh, _you_ were working on cleaning up your language. Mine is usually just fine.” His phone rang and he took his foot from his stirrup. His eyes widened when he saw the caller ID. “Jack! It’s Elizabeth!”

Jack’s eyes widened and he brought Pearl back into her stall.

“Is it…?”

James quickly answered, holding tightly to the reins of Rocko.

“Lizzie?”

 _“Not quite,”_ Will answered. _“It’s B-Day.”_

“Oh God. Okay, we’ll be there as soon as we can. Same hospital right?”

_“Yeah, same one. Everything’s gone smooth so far so we should be all right.”_

“Good, good, okay, we’re on our way. Three hours.”

Jack quickly dismounted and waved Cesar over to help get their horses unsaddled. This was the day they had been waiting for for three years now. They had managed to build everything up (the shop’s sales were back up, deadweight suppliers had been cut loose, and the ranch PR was a well-oiled queer machine) and they were ready to expand their family.

James helped Jack finish getting Pearl settled before linking their fingers together to tug him out of the barn.

“Jack, it’s happening, it’s really happening.”

Jack stopped him on the porch and pulled him into a deep kiss. It seemed to do the trick to calm his husband down.

“It’s happening. I’ll start the car, you grab our bags, and we will go support Elizabeth and Will.”

James nodded and he stumbled into the house. He tossed Jack the keys before hurrying to grab what they needed while shouting at Gibbs and Estrella that they were leaving and what needed to be done.

Once he was in the car, James’ body seemed to crumple as some of the adrenaline left his body.

Jack reached out and took his hand as he drove away from the ranch and towards Austin.

“Three hours,” he murmured. “I can cut that down using the tolls.”

“Whatever you have to do, Jack.”

“Two and a half hours and no cops! Best record yet.”

James got out of the truck quickly and grabbed the bag he had packed for the hospital.

“You are so fucking lucky there were no cops,” he muttered as Jack put an arm around him. “I would have killed you. In front of them.”

“This is the second best day of our lives: nothing has topped our wedding until now. Everything’s going to align because I’m-”

“Jack Sparrow. Yes, yes, I’ve heard that for the past three years,” James sighed as they stepped into the hospital. He got out from under Jack’s arm to ask the front desk which room Elizabeth was in. He thanked them profusely before once more taking Jack’s hand to lead him through the hospital to the appropriate room in the labor and delivery ward.

Jack linked their fingers together and held tightly. For all James was visibly worrying, his own anxiety was rolling beneath the surface. He craved the touch of his husband but he couldn’t bring himself to ask for it. He didn’t want to disturb James or shift attention away from who they were really supposed to be focused on.

Speaking of…

James knocked on the door and waited for Will to call them in before he opened it. Jack peered up from behind his shoulder and both their faces spread in relieved smiles at the sight of Elizabeth on the bed. She was still glowing despite the tiredness starting to show in her face.

“There’s are boys. Jack made record time.”

“How do you know it wasn’t me?” James asked as he set the bag down out of the way.

“Cause you never speed outside of your town,” Elizabeth chuckled.

Her breath hitched on a contraction and Will was instantly by her side with James taking up the other side. Jack shrugged and stood at the foot of the hospital bed.

“Good thing the blanket’s here or ye and I’d be getting a lot more well-acquainted, Lizzie.”

Elizabeth let out a breathy little laugh.

“Still got time to change that.”

“What about dear William?”

“Look all you want, I know you won’t be stealing her away. Especially not if you watch the whole time,” Will pointed out with a raised brow.

“Hmm, point taken.”

“All right, enough of that,” James said with a swat at Jack. “Even during the birth of our child, you really can’t help yourself, can you?”

Jack grinned and held his hands out.

“Ye wanted crazy.”

“Heaven help me, is it too late for an annulment?”

“If this is something you two need to discuss, do it in the hallway,” Elizabeth said as she shifted a little on the bed. “I do appreciate the humor but my patience for it is a bit,” she groaned and focused on her breathing for a few moments, “thin.”

“Understandable, Lizzie, understandable,” James assured, getting up to pour out a few ice chips into a cup for her.

Jack hesitated for a moment before he flipped the blanket up to be able to get at Elizabeth’s feet and ankles. They had been in near constant contact with Elizabeth and Will and so had both heard and seen the toll this wonderful favor was taking on her. Will had apparently become a master masseuse over the past nine months.

But Will should now be entirely by her side. Jack’s own nimble fingers could be a replacement for now.

Elizabeth swallowed an ice chip nearly whole at the first soothing touches.

“Jack,” she said softly, causing his dark eyes to flick up. “I see now what James fell in love with.”

He flashed her a winning smile and gave James a wink. James rolled his eyes but the soft smile he gave Jack was genuine.

“And one more!”

A final shout and push from Elizabeth ended with the doctor lifting a squalling babe from between her legs with a grin.

“It’s a girl!”

The four in the room dissolved into different levels of tears at the sight. Elizabeth welcomed the baby to rest on her bare chest, grinning up at James.

“And who is going to cut the cord?”

James and Will looked at each other, managing to say a lot in a few quirks of eyes and brows, before nodding to Jack.

“Wha’, me?”

“Yes, Jack, _you_.”

“Mr. Sparrow?”

Jack swallowed hard and took the proffered scissors from the nurse. He settled it between the two clamps and glanced at Elizabeth.

“I’ve taken on steers,” he chuckled, “and I’ve never been like this.”

“You won’t hurt her, Jack,” Elizabeth promised. A veiled statement. A hidden way of reminding him that he would in fact be a good father.

Jack cut through the cord carefully and he straightened quickly while holding the scissors out to the nurse.

“Take them, quickly.”

She laughed softly at his reaction although she cleared away all the sharp tools quickly before once more returning to the bedside.

“I’ll need to take the little one for a quick check-over and a wipe down. She’ll be back before you know it.”

“Can I…?” James started before stopping, unsure.

“Of course!” The nurse chirped happily as she gently took the newborn.

The tension in James’ shoulders disappeared and he smiled as he followed the nurse. Jack watched him and he gave Will a little smile before leaving him to care to Elizabeth while he went to stand by James’ side. They both were fascinated by the new little life as she was measured and bathed and given a medical check-up.

“There we are,” the nurse cooed, “all happy and bathed and ready to go to your daddies.”

James’ hand tightened around Jack’s wrist at that.

Jack brought it up to kiss his knuckles. He released James so that he could move forward and take the baby.

As the newborn, bundled up in a blanket and hat, was settled in James’ arms Jack thought he had never looked more radiant.

“Elizabeth’s glow seems to have rubbed off,” he murmured, sliding an arm around James’ waist to guide both of them back to the bed.

Elizabeth looked near ready to pass out after the ordeal and James was quick to sit down again by her side so she could have another look at the life she had given them.

“Lizzie…she’s perfect. Absolutely perfect.”

“Of course she would be: just look at you.”

Well that just started the tears anew as he looked back down at the little girl. His daughter. His and Jack’s daughter.

“Did you two ever decide on a name?” Will asked softly, stroking his fingers up and down Elizabeth’s arm.

“Ah,” James sniffled and looked up at Jack stood behind him, “I think?”

Jack was humming softly as he watched the little girl yawn and snuggle into James. He blinked and came back to himself when he realized that James and the others were looking at him.

“Hmm? Oh! The name thing?”

James grinned.

“Yes, love, the name thing. Are we still agreed?”

“We are. I hope the other two involved are.” James carefully settled the little girl in Jack’s arms and he cradled her close. He glanced at Elizabeth and Will before smiling down at the tiny thing. “We had decided on Rebecca Lillian Sparrow to honor the two people we wish most could be here.”

Elizabeth awwed and Will’s smile turned soft and sentimental.

“March 30th, Rebecca Lillian, the future of Straight Arrow Ranch.”


End file.
